Two miles south of the Charleston Bridge

 We never did find Steve's phone.

The Cochise County Search and Rescue group was already parked in the Millville lot when we arrived at 9am, with their scent dogs ready to train.  There was no way I could let my four dogs off leash, and my dogs were anxious to get started on a hike. I parked away from the other cars so that my dogs' barking wouldn't upset the scent dogs.  I made a quick decision to instead take the pack across the street and walk in a southerly direction from the Charleston bridge instead of a northerly one, giving the county dogs the entire northern side of the highway for their training

There was plenty of water here in the river and the dogs enjoyed it. We stayed near the banks for the first 0.8 miles, following a well-traveled food trail, but had to go up toward the old railroad bed to get away from thick underbrush. Here the river takes a bed to the west. In the past I had always turned around here, but today the goal was to hike two miles south, then turn around.  I was in low, prickly-shrouded hills with an occasional soapbox yucca.

This old railroad bed once rumbled all the way into the Sonoran mining town of Cannanea.  It's all just tailing now, but recent tire tracks from both mountain bikes and ATVs show that it is being used by landowners. There was no other human around.  The only bird I noticed was a bald eagle that landed in a nearby cottonwood tree

The two-mile marker led me to a long railroad bridge over a wash by the river.  I had been here with Susan, Holly and David earlier this summer.  The cottonwoods are still very leafed here and the yellow was bright in the sun.  It's a nice place to turn around.  Another mile would get me on private property and in that dubious area of illicit business with drug cartel.

I went down to the river via a cattle trail here for the dogs to drink.  Sweetie dove into the deep end while the pups chased something that made both take off for a few minutes. Gretel is always the last one to return, but at least she returns!  We stayed only long enough for them to drink before starting the return walk back to the parking lot

The old railroad bed once was the most direct path for border crossers to make it to the I-10 interstate in Benson for continued rides to either Texas or California.  There used to be so much trash along the old railroad bed.  Today I only came across a badly sun-damaged backpack and one white sock.

The dogs were still in high energy mode when I got back to the Honda in 1:48 hours. I drove back across the street and the search and rescue team was still there, as was Steve's car.  I parked under the subtle shade of a mesquite tree to wait on Steve.  Surely, I thought, he would be back shortly.

And he was.  The dogs were still restless as we sat in the car, but once he was back we agreed to get a quick meal at Rodolfo's in town as we sat in his camping chairs in the shaded parking lot of a real estate agent nrxt door. This way the dogs were in the cool shade while we ate, both sipping on Twisted Tea like teenagers at a tail-gate party. Our cars were parked at a staggaered angle, so that passers-by didn't see us right away as we were hidden from view by the cars.

I was back home by 2pm.  Now the dogs were tired.  Kevin was also in bed, announcing that his daughter Katie has covid.  

This covid is all in the news now, with cities like Tucson and all of southern California now implementing curfews and lockdowns as the cases continue to surge. Tucson bars and restaurants must close by 10pm, which means they close by early evening to give people the chance to get home on time.  This is how this was early in the pandemic.  I'm afraid I won't be able to make another road trip to Phoenix in January with the rate people are getting sick.

***

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